Twelve Red Roses
by Sarai87
Summary: S/J Fic for 2008 Valenship. WARNING: FLUFF AHEAD
1. Chapter 1

**Twelve Red Roses**

A Valenship 2008 Fic

by Sarai

**A/N:** This fic is dedicated to everyone at the Sam/Jack shipper thread on GW. Happy Valenship 2008 Ship Family! May we each receive our personal resolution soon, in one way or another…

**Chapter One**

Patrolling the many halls of Atlantis had become a favourite pastime for Samantha Carter, Colonel of the USAF and commander of the Atlantis expedition. She found the excersise calming and used the time not only to think (something she couldn't help doing anyway) but also to get to know those under her command personally. It was something she'd watched her former CO, General Hammond, do throughout his seven years at the SGC and knew it helped to inspire confidence and a greater liking for a base leader.

In the few months since receiving the post, Sam had become used to the slightly cool greetings of those under her command. She knew Dr. Weir had been popular and loved by military and non-military personnel alike. At the same time, Sam was used to these less-than-warm receptions; after you've blown up a sun and flown an asteroid through the centre of the earth, people never look at you in quite the same way.

Still, she was a little confused by the reception she was getting today. Whereas before her cheerful "hello" would have been reciprocated with a tight-lipped nod, she was now being greeted with full-on smirks. One young scientist actually offered up a very sarcastic, "Good morning Colonel" in response. Pondering the confusing behaviour of her personnel, Sam ran straight into a muttering McKay.

Ever the dramatist, he lurched back, rubbing his head dramatically.

"Ow! Jesus Sam, look where you're going!"

"Sorry Rodney, I was miles away. Did I hurt you?"

He scoffed sarcastically. "Only a bit! My head really hurts! I think I'm starting to get a lump. Wait…" he began to dab his forehead frantically. "Am I bleeding?!"

With more patience than she felt, Sam peeled his fingers away.

"Rodney…"

He cut her off. "What?! I'm bleeding aren't I?! I need to get to the infirmary. Quick, help me, I'm not sure I can walk".

"MCKAY!" Sam's patience wore off quicker than she thought it would. "There's nothing there!" She pointed to his head. "No bump, no blood. Nothing!"

He hesitated before producing an alternative. "I could be bleeding internally".

She rolled her eyes, "Rodney, I highly doubt it. I barely even hit you! There's nothing to worry about".

He looked at her, still holding his head. "Yeah…well…hey! Hear you got a present from Earth". He frowned. "Roses?! I mean, come on Sam, what a cliché!" He rolled his eyes.

Sam was momentarily stunned. She checked the date on her watch, still set to Earth time: 13th February. _He wouldn't have, would he?_ He **couldn't **have sent her flowers through the Stargate! Suddenly it dawned on her; that's why everyone was looking at her strangely!

Rodney snapped his fingers, bringing her abruptly into the present. "Sam…Sam! Earth to Sam!" He paused, "Well I suppose technically it's Atlantis to Sam!" The self-satisfied smile faded from his lips as he realised she was not listening.

Sam cleared her throat. "Excuse me Rodney. I need to err…go and read a report".

She strode past him quickly in the direction of her personal quarters.

McKay stood stock still, completely poleaxed and trying to think up a way to convince Keller to give him a CT scan. Suddenly he spun, calling out before she disappeared round a corner.

"Hey Sam! Who're they from?"

No reply. Rodney muttered and limped exaggeratedly towards the infirmary.

* * *

In the quiet privacy of her quarters, Sam's gaze flicked between his photo and the twelve long-stemmed red roses in the bouquet in front of her. She sighed, smoothing the delicate crimson petals between her fingers. Someone had laid them very carefully on the desk in her outer office and yet some of the flower heads had still been a little crushed.

She smiled; still disbelieving he'd had the audacity to send her flowers through the Stargate! _Must have come with the care package from Earth this morning_, she mused. She hadn't been present when it arrived, choosing instead to sit in on a jumper piloting lesson John had been giving the non-military personnel.

Beside her on the bed was a card with a blank envelope. It had been tucked safely and securely inside the bouquet wrap. Sam hadn't touched it, except to remove it from the flowers, in an attempt to prolong the moment when she'd have something to read from him. She'd accepted the Atlantis posting willingly; she was immensely flattered to be considered for such a prestigious commanding position at her age. She had an immense modesty and refused to realise she was the genius everyone, especially Jack, took her for. She knew Jack had recommended her for the posting, though he'd never admit it to her openly. She also knew how torn he must have been, had felt it herself. When she left all the feelings of guilt and abandonment resonated in her mind, not unlike those she'd experienced in Antarctica all those years ago. Still, like time after time, they'd swallowed their feelings, put on their dress blues and done their duty.

After twenty minutes she could bear it no longer and she quickly picked up the envelope, slender fingers pulling out the small card inside. It was covered in Jack's untidy scrawl and Sam blinked back tears as she let the words fall into her heart.

_Sam, sorry we can't be together tomorrow. I'm sure you know everything I'm thinking and feeling. Yours, always. Jack._

_p.s. Happy Valentine's Day!_

A watery chuckle emerged from Sam's throat. They'd both discussed this. It was a silly, pointless holiday. Why did they need to prove their love to the world on one day when they both knew exactly how they felt? That and it wasn't really up either of their alleys! _And that's a miracle_, she thought, _considering how long it took us to get here_.

And yet, Sam knew, as she perched on her empty bed in the Pegasus Galaxy, running her fingers over his writing, it was an important day for them; a kind of milestone in their relationship. And here they were, about to spend it apart.

Placing the card and flowers on the bed, Sam's hands went to her neck and she pulled out a long white-gold chain. Kissing the ring that dangled from it, Sam Carter made a decision.

* * *

Stepping through the Stargate on the morning of the 14th February, Sam wondered if she'd made a mistake. Daniel and Vala were definitely smirking at each other and back at her whilst even Teal'c had a slight smile on his face. Deciding to play it cool, Sam cleared her throat, sauntering down the ramp, not realising just how much like Jack she looked.

"Hey guys, what's up?" And sounded.

Daniel snorted as Vala fell against him giggling. Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow.

Regaining some sort of composure Daniel smiled and leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. "Hey Sam, how you doin'? So…uhh…" He cleared his throat as Vala began to giggle once more, "why you back…?"

Sam rolled her eyes, pushing past her smirking welcoming committee heading up to General Landry's office. Behind her she could hear Daniel, Vala and even Teal'c collapse in fits of laughter. She tried to suppress a smile of her own.


	2. Chapter 2

**Twelve Red Roses**

A Valenship 2008 Fic

by Sarai

**Chapter Two**

With Landry officially debriefed Sam headed directly for Washington. She sighed, relaxing into the comfy plane seat and stretching her legs out in front of her. _Being a respected Colonel in the Air Force certainly has its perks_, she thought.

Sam sipped her juice happily. She was finally on her way to see him. She couldn't believe she'd actually worked up the guts! Informing her superiors she required some early personal leave back on Earth had been a huge challenge for her. She was, after all, a respectful, rule-abiding officer of the Air Force. She never did things for her own personal gain. And she always followed the orders of her superiors. In that respect she didn't take after her husband at all.

As usual she couldn't wait to see him. But it was different this time. She **felt** different. This time Sam had the aching feeling that when he held her, she wouldn't be able to let go. The nervous fluttering in her stomach made her giggle. They'd known each other for over ten years and she'd felt like that about him for most of that time, although the feelings had enhanced especially in the eight months or so that they'd been married.

Pulling out her bag from the chair in front of her, Sam took a quick peek inside. While she knew Jack disliked surprises she hoped he would enjoy the one she was preparing for him, especially since she'd managed to keep her return to Earth a secret from him.

She smiled slyly as she tucked a snippet of black lace further into the bag and glanced around furtively. Putting her bag down again the giddy Colonel settled back into her chair, mentally organising the rest of the surprises she was preparing for her husband.

* * *

Within the deep confines of the Pentagon, General Jack O'Neill paced his large office impatiently. Stuck in meetings all day, Jack was fast beginning to lose his mind. On days like these he longed to be out in the field, his P-90 resting familiarly in his grip. But then, he had his reasons for taking this job. Sighing, Jack sat, reclining in his large leather chair.

One reason in particular was smiling back at him from a small picture frame almost invisible beneath the mounds of paper on his desk. The picture of Sam was one of his favourites, taken on their pier in Minnesota on honeymoon. She looked relaxed and happy, beer in one hand, laughing at some silly joke he'd just made.

On days like these, more than anything, Jack longed to be with his wife.

The General sighed again, tilting back his head. By now she'd have the roses he sent. He smiled. Jack didn't consider himself a romantic man, not by a long shot. And yet, there were times in the last two years when he just couldn't help himself. He actually found it easier to profess his love for his wife through gestures rather than words. Things like the 7th chevron engraving along with "Always" on her wedding ring. Still, he couldn't believe he'd actually managed to pull enough strings for this recent gesture. _Being a 2-Star General in the USAF certainly has its perks_, he thought.

Of course, a better gesture would have been for him to visit her himself. Unfortunately the nature of his job didn't allow time enough for frequent personal trips to the Pegasus Galaxy. A day or two here and there maybe…but then he was still making up for the two weeks he'd wangled for their impromptu honeymoon.

Jack closed his eyes, remembering the last night of those two weeks. They'd spent the better part of the evening intertwined on the couch in front of a dying fire. Sam breathing heavily on his bare chest tickled the few grey hairs there. His fingers twitched as he remembered stroking her hair, relaxing him as well as her. He remembered feeling as though they were the only two people in the world; they'd cut themselves off as much as two high-ranking AF officers could, checking in with the Pentagon and SGC only once every couple of days. He could feel the warmth of the fire on his face, smell in the enticing scent of his beautiful new wife…

A harsh knock jolted him back into the present.

"Come!" He barked, angry at whoever it was for disturbing his daydream. The door opened forcefully as his secretary Emma strode purposefully into the room, clutching a handful of folders.

"General, the minutes for your meetings today". She placed the stack on his already overflowing desk. He rolled his eyes at her.

She smirked. "With all due respect Sir, you can't just keep ignoring them. It's as much a part of your job description as bringing you coffee is part of mine!"

Jack grinned, one of the few things he really did like about the Pentagon was his team. They were no SG-1 of course, but still he'd struck lucky. After several unsuccessful trials involving assistants that were too afraid even to speak to him, the personnel manager had finally come up trumps with Emma. She was young, technically too young to be in such a privileged position, but she reminded Jack of a certain sparky young Captain he'd worked with ten years ago.

He checked his watch, 1700 hours, and sighed, knowing he wasn't likely to be home before 2100 that night.

"Speaking of coffee?" He pointed at the door.

"Of course sir". She paused, "If I may though, General Rogers asked me to pass on a message. He advised that you go home early tonight Sir. As a…reward for sitting in meetings so patiently today". Emma ducked her head, suppressing a giggle; her bosses' dislike of meetings was infamous.

Jack raised his eyebrow in a perfect imitation of Teal'c, though he didn't realise it.

"Oh he did, did he?" Seeming to contemplate whether this was a good thing or not Jack's eyes settled on Sam's picture. There were a lot more of these back at the safety of his house, along with beer and a hockey game if he could find one. Grabbing the blue jacket from the back of his chair he sauntered past his now openly giggling assistant.

Jack frowned. "Something funny?"

She choked, trying in vain not to burst out laughing. "Uhh…no…Sir. Goodnight…Sir!"

Jack walked out of his office. "These kids get weirder every day," he muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Twelve Red Roses**

A Valenship 2008 Fic

by Sarai

**Chapter Three**

The traffic had made his drive home ridiculously long, leading to a less-than-happy Jack. He had to admit it was great to be driving himself around however; he'd dismissed the Pentagon driver after just two months into the job. Still, sitting in queues irked him and he was still grumbling as he slid the key in the lock and opened the door to their house. It was good to think of the place as 'theirs'. Sam had kept her house in Colorado Springs but rented it out, so most of her stuff was here with his. He could never help himself smiling when he found her t-shirts in the draw or her low-fat cottage cheese in the fridge.

Lost in these thoughts, Jack didn't immediately notice the smells wafting from the kitchen. As soon as he did, however, he shifted, padding silently through the entrance hall. He didn't pull out his gun though since he highly doubted anyone was going to break into his house to cook him to death. Hardly daring to hope, he rounded a corner, giving him full view of the kitchen and the woman in the centre of it. She was bent in front of the oven, her back to him, muttering angrily.

He grinned; fully appreciating the view he was getting of her derrière, and lounged against the doorframe. He was fighting the extremely strong urge to leap forward and kiss her.

Suddenly she froze. Slowly she stood upright and turned. He jaw dropped open.

"Jack!" She didn't have as much control as him. Launching herself at him, she threw her arms around his neck, nearly flooring him.

He laughed, wrapping his big arms back around her and burying his face in her neck. They stood like that for several moments, each revelling in the others' touch. Reluctantly, he withdrew and placed a kiss in her hair.

"What're you doing here?" He asked softly. Placing another kiss in his hair, he blinked. "Did you get my note?"

She looked up into his eyes, her own glistening a little; she'd forgotten how much his smell could overpower her.

"I got it. Thank you for the flowers. I just…I don't know Jack. This is out first Valentines as a married couple. I…" she sighed, shaking her head a little, "I needed to see you".

He drew her back into his embrace.

"Hey, I'm not complaining! Little bit surprised, slightly gobsmacked I guess. But complaining I am not!" He sniffed, "So whatcha cookin' up there Carter?"

She laughed, pulling back and wagging a finger.

"Ah ah! You'll have to wait and see General! There's quite a few surprises coming your way tonight." She winked seductively, not for the first time appreciating how delicious he looked in his blue uniform.

He bit her finger lightly. "What if I don't wanna wait?"

About to say that was the cutest thing he'd ever done, Sam looked up into two brown eyes, deep with desire, her thought melted away. Evidence of what he wanted was pushing against her thigh. Absently berating herself for having no sense of control whatsoever, she kissed him. The gentle kiss she began turned into a full on force of heat which sent electrical sparks running through her body. Her knees weakened and she scolded herself again for becoming so fragile in his arms, but just as her legs almost buckled completely he swept her up, carrying her towards their bedroom.

* * *

Jack and Sam lay in a state of bliss, long limbs entwined on the bed as she trailed lazy fingers up his arm. Unwilling to break the comfortable silence, Jack sighed. As much as he loved to just be with her he knew time was not on their side. Noticing the change in his breathing, Sam lifted her head.

"What's up?" Jack's eyes locked with hers.

"How long?" She knew exactly what he meant. It was the same every time she came home. Averting her eyes from his gaze, Sam swallowed.

"Tonight and some of tomorrow. I have to return to Atlantis tomorrow night".

He didn't respond. There was nothing he **could** say. They'd spent eight years doing what they had to for Planet Earth and denying their innermost thoughts and wishes. They were both needed, at the Pentagon and in the Pegasus Galaxy, and so it seemed they would have to deny themselves still further.

But not for the next 24 hours…and come hell or high water, Jack was not leaving her side.

With the speed and expertise of one with thirty plus years of military training, Jack flipped Sam over. He grinned seductively before kissing her soundly on the mouth. Sam couldn't help herself; she giggled.

Jack growled. "What have I told you about giggling Colonel?"

* * *

Jack returned with Sam to the SGC the next afternoon, needing to be with her every second they were on the same planet. As they stood together in front of the shimmering event horizon, he glanced around. At 2030 hours the gate and control rooms were surprisingly full. He turned his head back to his beautiful wife.

Like so many other times when they parted he found himself taking in every detail of her face, imprinting it into his memory. Her sad eyes gazed back at him and at that moment Jack would have given anything to keep her there with him. But they both had a job to do; commands and planets to watch over.

Grinning as an idea popped into his head Jack took her face in his hands, ignoring her warning glance around. His arm slid down to encircle her back as he leaned forward, kissing her deeply and dipping her back in a passionate embrace. How long they stayed there, Sam didn't know. Time had become irrelevant as his warm mouth played havoc with her lips and tongue. Dimly she became aware of claps and cheers, and as Jack released her a crimson blush rose up through her cheeks. Trying to cover the smile on her lips as he glared at the surrounding gate technicians, Sam studied his face closely. Every time she left him it got harder and harder. With the seeds of regret at her intergalactic posting beginning to grow, Sam saw the beginning of the end for her time in Atlantis.

Still, she had a job to do. Sam squared her shoulders and cleared her throat, catching Jack's attention. They smiled at each other and Sam turned, stepping towards the gate. Just before she passed through the iridescent light she turned her head back towards him and breathed deeply.

"Happy Valentine's Day Jack. I'll see you soon".

**THE END**


End file.
